DAAD-LSM doctoral projects
Please note: last updated 19 August 2025 !
- Only international applicants, who have not been in Germany longer than 15 months by the nomination time at the DAAD are eligible for the DAAD-GSSP scholarship !
- You have to apply through our online application tool which is open until 24 October 2025, 12:00 noon CET !
- For further information about the projects, feel free to contact the supervisor directly
- The offered projects of this DAAD-GSSP application cover most areas of natural and life sciences from Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Ecology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Evolutionary Biology and Plant Sciences
- On the online application tool, two projects can be selected.
- You are welcome to browse through our faculty members´research here
- Only applications submitted through our online portal will be considered !
- The LSM application portal is now open, APPLY NOW !
- Becker (Genetics, Botany, Plant Sciences)
- Gottschling (Botany and plant science, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Limnology, Systematics)
- C.Haug Group (Zoology)
- J.Haug (Zoology)
- Heilbronner Group (Microbiology)
- K.Jung Group (Microbiology, Molecular Biology)
- Keays (Cerebral Organoids, Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience)
- Mikeladze Dvali Group (Cell Biology)
- Mokranjac Group (Cell Biology, Biochemistry)
- Osman Group (Cell Biology, Molecular Biology)
- Parniske (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genetics)
Please access the projects´descriptions through clicking on the below highlighted group leaders´names !
Project 1: Sub-functionalization of a biosynthetic gene cluster in Solanaceae
Keywords: Biosynthetic gene cluster; Chromatin; Specialized metabolites; Genome editing; Solanaceae
Subject areas: Genetics, Botany and Plant Science
Project 2: Regulation of the biosynthesis of defensive diterpenoids in rice
Keywords: Oryza sativa; Diterpenoids; Gene regulation; Chromatin; Specialized metabolites
Subject areas: Genetics, Botany and Plant Science
Title: Diving Deep into the Microscopic Realm of Aquatic Habitats: Biodiversity
Keywords: dinoflagellate, microalgae, microscopy, molecular phylogenetics, morphology, peat, systematics, taxonomy
Subject areas: Botany and plant science, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Limnology, Systematics
Title: Quantitative exploration of biodiversity through space and time: lacewings as an example
Keywords: biodiversity, extinction, fossils, quantitative morphology, microscopy
Title: Evolution of raptorial appendages in Euarthropoda: similar functions and convergent solutions
Title: Relevance of secreted toxins on iron-acquisition and virulence of Stahylococcus lugdunensis
Keywords: Staphylococcus lugdunensis, virulence, toxins, heme acquisition
Subject areas: Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Infection Biology
Prof. Dr. Kirsten Jung (Microbiology)
Title: Reprogramming Bacteria
Keywords: genetic engineering, Desulfovibrio spp., synthetic bacterial communities
Subject areas: Microbiology, Molecular Biology
Prof. Dr. David Keays
Project 1: Avian Cerebral Organoids
Keywords: Neuroscience, Developmental Biology, Cell Biology
Subject area: Cerebral Organoids, Brain Development, iPSCs.
Project 2: Marsupial Cerebral Organoids
Keywords: Neuroscience, Developmental Biology, Cell Biology
Subject areas: Cerebral Organoids, Brain Development, iPSCs.
Project 3: Antisense oligionucelotide treatment for MAST1 associated epilepsy
Keywords: Neuroscience, Disease Modelling, Cell Biology
Subject areas: Cerebral Organoids, Brain Development, iPSCs.
Dr. Tamara Mikeladze-Dvali (Cell and Developmental Biology)
Title: Molecular mechanisms regulating centrosome dynamics and centriole separation
Keywords: Centrosome, PCM, C. elegans
Subject areas: Cell Biology
Dr. Dejana Mokranjac (Cell Biology, Biochemistry)
Title: Understanding the unique features of the mitochondrial Hsp70 system that mediate translocation and folding of proteins
Keywords: mitochondria, Hsp70 chaperones, protein import, protein folding
Subject areas: Cell Biology, Biochemistry
Prof. Dr. Christof Osman (Cell Biology, Molecular Biology)
Title: Quality control of the mitochondrial genome
Keywords: mitochondria, mtDNA, fluorescence microscopy
Subject areas: Molecular biology, Cell biology and Genetics
Prof. Dr. Martin Parniske
Project 1: Structure and function of the CCaMK/Cyclops complex in transcriptional regulation of plant root symbioses with nutrient acquiring fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Subject area: Protein Biochemistry / Structural Biology / Molecular Biology / Molecular Plant Sciences / Microbiology
Project 2: Harnessing natural genetic resources to defend fruits against insect attack
Keywords: Drosophilia suzukii, Plant secondary metabolites, Fragaria vesca, Strawberry
Subject areas: Biochemistry/ Pharmacology/ Genetics/ Molecular Biology/ Molecular Plant Sciences
Project 3: Evolution of transcriptional networks shaping the legume root symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia
Supervision: Martin Parniske and Chloé Cathebras
Keywords: Development, Evolution, Symbiosis, Plant-Microbe interaction, transcriptional regulation, transcriptional networks
Subject areas: Protein Biochemistry/ Structural Biology/ Molecular Biology/ Molecular Plant Sciences, Microbiology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Evo-Devo, Genetics